Special editions are a dime a dozen these days, but there was a time when such cars were truly limited in production. In addition, these unique trims held some symbolism as well, as opposed to being released to celebrate the return of Sunday Night Football, or some other nonsense. The “Black Pearl” edition Nissan 280Z was limited to just 1,500 examples, and is effectively the swan song of the original Z formula before the introduction of the 280ZX. While they still look similar, the original Z design remained largely unchanged since its introduction in 1969, making the Black Pearl a fitting final chapter. Find this project-grade example listed here on Facebook Marketplace for $4,500.
Thanks to Barn Finds reader Chuck Foster for the find. The Black Pearl wasn’t much in the way of additional equipment, amounting to a paint job and some decals. However, it was the first time a Z car had been offered in black paint from the factory. Apparently, there was such a strong association between the color black and death and loss in Japanese culture that the automaker avoided it intentionally. However, years later, when letting the world know the 280Z would be the final iteration of the original Z car, it was an acceptable choice. I suppose it helps that black pearls in pirate culture are generally quite desirable.
Thanks to our friends over at ZHome.com, we can get a perfect overview of what the Black Pearl package contained. While by and large a paint job, it also featured a rear window sunshade (louvers) and sporty “racing” mirrors. Yes, this isn’t much to write home about in the grand scheme of things, but I’d consider it a mildly collectible car solely because Nissan really did end 280Z production after this special edition. As a side note, when you pull the ugly safety bumpers off of a later 280Z, it’s amazing how much of the original design is still present. Those bumpers were hideous. Check out all of the Black Pearl information here on ZHome.com.
The seller’s car looks very complete, but it will take some effort to revive the original finish (if it can be saved). The red detail in the racing stripes is almost certainly washed away, but at least we can still see it. I have a feeling many of these Black Pearl editions went to scrap without anyone knowing it was a special model, especially if it had been previously repainted and the racing stripes not reapplied. The seller reports that he does have the original wheels but that the Z also has a good amount of rust. Is this special edition special enough to justify the expense of rust repair?
An older lady I worked with in the late 80’s early 90’s had one of these. She bought it new when she was in college. It was rusting, but complete. She kept the maintenance up on it. She loved that car and said she would not part with it until it just died on her. She drove it every day, even in snow.